Returning Home
by Savy95
Summary: A series of one shots about Thor and Jane after he returns back to Earth. Set after Thor the Dark World. I do not own Thor or any of the characters.


"No! No! Stop, let him go!"

Thor sat up quickly nearly falling over the edge of the bed and called Mjolnir to his side in an instant, the weight feeling reassuring and strong in his hand. He looked around the room for the direction the screams had come from.

"Please stop! No! Thor!"

Thor looked over at Jane, thrashing and crying next to him, locked deep in a battle with her nightmares. Thor dropped Mjolnir next to the bed and slid an arm under Jane's shoulders, pulling her over onto his chest.

"Jane, Jane please wake up, you're safe Jane, please come back to me." Thor whispered as he smoothed the silky tendrils of hair back into order after they had been wildly pointing in each direction.

Jane slowly opened her eyes, and Thor felt his soul tear open. Jane looked up into his soft, and calm eyes with her own that were filled with terror and dread. Once she saw Thor was there with her she launched herself upward to wrap her arms around his neck, saying silent thanks he was alive and pulling in deep, shuddering breathes. Thor was puzzled, he had never seen Jane so frightened, not even when they were battling Malekith on the dark world.

"Jane, do not worry. You are safe now I will protect you." Thor said gently rubbing Jane's back

Jane jumped back at those words and put a hand on either side of the thunder gods face.

"Thor that's the problem, we aren't safe, especially you. Not if you have to keep jumping in to save me all the time. I just wish…." Jane's voice faded

"Jane whatever your wish is I will grant it to you, I would go to the furthest reaches of the nine realms to keep away this fear I see in your eyes. What is troubling you?" Thor looked into Janes eyes, beseeching her to confide in him

Jane cast her eyes downward, folding her hands in her lap, taking in a large breath of air, she wasn't sure if it was out of a need to expel her fear or gather her courage.

"I saw you….y-you were….dying. Malekith had you by the throat, and he looked into my eyes and told me how powerless and weak I was to save you. I kept running forward trying to save you, trying to fight through his dark elves to get to you but…they just kept stabbing me and I could feel myself losing the fight to get to you and I….I saw the light going out of your eyes and you were just so afraid…and I couldn't save you…"

By now Jane was crying her hair shielding her face from Thor but he could hear the trembling in her voice and it tore at his soul to hear her voice so full of despair and so broken. He reached over and tucked Jane's hair behind her ears, waiting for her to finish. He took her small hand in his large calloused one and gently caressed her knuckles running his thumb over them soothingly.

"I just wish I was more like your mother, or Lady Sif," Jane said voice thick with shame "I'm just a burden to you, you're always having to jump in and save me in ways I could never do for you, I wish I knew how to fight, to handle myself like they can for you, be what they are to you."

Jane finished speaking and returned her eyes to the floor, she felt so stupid and so guilty. Even if it was just a dream Malekith was right, she was weak and she would never be able to defend Thor, not like he could for her.

Thor could not believe what Jane was saying. How could she not see that she had saved so much more than his life, but she had saved his soul? How could this gorgeous, intelligent, astounding woman not know that he gladly defended her because there was no life worth living without her. That was why he had fought so hard to acclimate to Earth, to stand by her. He had to show her how much she meant to him, and how she saved him when he felt he would rip himself apart. Thor tucked a hand under Jane's chin slowly lifting her mahogany eyes up to his.

"Jane, you have saved my life more times than I can express to you, you helped me reclaim my soul when it was lost in selfishness and rage. Without you I would never have been able to use Mjolnir again, I would have perished by the hands of the Destroyer, by the hands of my brother, if not for your guidance, kindness, and love. You helped me find my way home Jane, and for that reason alone you should know I value you more than all of the warriors in all of the nine realms."

Jane had stopped trembling and was now staring intently at him, losing herself in the warmth of his hands gently running up and down her arms driving away the goosebumps. His eyes bore into hers and she felt she could see his soul, filled with love and devotion, answering her own desperate longing to know he was safe, and that he was with her. Jane leaned forward the strands of her hair falling forward to tickle Thor's cheeks as he simply gazed up at her. She moved a hand to the side of his strong jaw and pressed her lips onto his, not trusting herself to speak after his heartfelt confession. He responded by putting his arms around her slim waist and pulling her over to him. Jane ran her hands over his chest, the hairs gently tickling her fingers. Thor moved his hand into her hair and pulled her even closer to him, letting her know he was there and he would never leave her. They pulled apart both breathless and in need of air. Thor leaned over and touched his forehead to Jane's, he understood how she was feeling, he had had nightmares when he had left her behind upon his return to Asgard, gruesome nightmares that she had been killed in front of him and he had been unable to save her. He had always gone straight to Heimdal after, chatting briefly with him about unimportant things before he would always, inevitably, ask about Jane. If Heimdal knew why Thor came to him in the middle of the night for anything other than his usual interest in the Midgardian scientist he never said, but he always reassured Thor making sure she was safe until Thor was satisfied and returned to his chambers. Jane's breath on Thor's neck broke him out of his memories and he looked over at her. She looked exhausted, like the nightmare had physically drained any strength from her bones. Thor kissed her forehead and held her close to his chest, his heartbeat calming her down until sleep claimed her. For what seemed like hours he just watched her, making sure she didn't have even the slightest hint of unease behind her closed lids, but she never did, and soon Thor's own eyelids grew heavy and sleep came for him too.


End file.
